Wednesday, July 13, 2005

Parenting is a comedy show...

Do you ever just want to laugh in your children's faces when they are actually needing discipline instead? I have been blessed with two beautiful little girls who need to spend quite a bit of time in "time-out" and who also crack me up when they are mad or out of control. It is often all I can do to keep a straight face while I put them in time-out....then I have to go in the other room and burst out laughing!

Some recent gems from Neves comedy central:Bria: Can I have another cookie?Mom: No. You have already had too many sweets today and you have to eat something good for you.Bria: {Bursts into dramatic tears and runs from the room}Mom: {Already laughing at this reaction}Bria: {Comes back into room a few minutes later, not much calmer than she was when she left. Gives me the dirtiest look can muster, and says} Mommy! You RUINED my feelings!Mom: {Laughs in her face...couldn't control myself this time.}

Bria: Mom! Chloe hit me!Mom: Chloe, did you hit Bria? {fully expecting a denial based on past experiences}Chloe: {Gives me a very stinky face} Two times!Mom: {Puts Chloe in time out and goes to bedroom to laugh.}

Some background on this next one....I often use the toilet as the time-out chair...it's pretty boring in there so it's hard to be distracted from thinking about the actions that landed them there in the first place.

Mom: Bria, do you need to go potty?Bria: NO! {dancing and holding herself} I don't have to!!Mom: I think you do....please go potty.Bria: No, I'm NOT going to go potty! I don't want to!Mom: I'll give you a choice then...you can go sit on the toilet and go potty or you can go sit on the toilet in time-out.Bria: {Bursts into her signature drama queen tears} That's not a choice! That's a MATCH!Mom: {Puts Bria on the toilet and leaves the bathroom laughing}

I know, these are really mostly "you had to be there" and "you have to know them" kind of moments. But I never thought that parenting could be so funny. Sometimes I feel bad laughing at what is apparently the most distressing moment of my child's life, but they are just too funny! And laughing at them is probably better than yelling....right?

Lara Neves

Lara is mom to three daughters—two teens and a tween. She loves to share her parenting and homemaking triumphs and failures here at Overstuffed! She was diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2015 and has been fighting it ever since. When she isn't working on her mother of the year award, you can find her reading, singing, or taking photos.

A woman after my own heart, I had to go into the other room quite frequently to laugh at you kids! If I didn't do that, I would eventually cry!! Sometimes you caught me doing that, especially if it was your brothers doing it!

Great blog, and wonderful choice of how to handle stress of parenting. Love you, Mom